


chasing hyunjin

by seungjined



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Character Development, College, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, Cute, Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Kinda, Lowercase, M/M, Photography Major Seungmin, Pining, Slow Burn, dance major hyunjin, hyunjin is mean at first, rich seungmin, wonpil is seungmin's brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:53:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 15,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25683085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seungjined/pseuds/seungjined
Summary: kim seungmin just found himself catching feelings for hwang hyunjin when they bumped into each other.
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin/Kim Seungmin
Kudos: 16





	1. Chapter 1

the first time that kim seungmin met hwang hyunjin was on his first year in college. seungmin was walking down the corridors together with other students and was silently cursing his best friend, jisung for not waiting for him at the entrance of their university as what they've agreed on few days before.  
  
"han jisung, i'm seriously killing you when i see you" seungmin mumbled in irritation as he stopped and looked around for his best friend in the sea of students. oh how much he hates crowds.  
  
fortunately, their first class won't start anytime soon so he still has time to look for jisung and give him one good smack on the head for leaving him hanging at the university gate earlier.  
  
"yah han jisung!" seungmin yelled when he spotted the said boy walking out of what seems like the bathroom together with his boyfriend, lee minho. "did he really just ditched his best friend for his boyfriend? now i'm not just irritated, i'm hurt too" he said through gritted teeth.  
  
seungmin shake his head as he started jogging his way to jisung and minho's direction. halfway through running towards them, he fetched his phone from his pocket to check the time, of all times, why did he forget to wear his wristwatch today. eyes on his phone and barely looking up, he has a fifty fifty chance to end up bumping into someone. and it really did happen, right after he looked at the time on his phone and looked up in front, his eyes widened when he saw a guy walking in front of him.  
  
not able to stop himself in time, seungmin ended up colliding to the person in front of him, sending them both sprawled on the floor, seungmin's phone flying and sliding down the floor together with the guy's folders.  
  
"seungmin!"  
  
he heard jisung's yell clearly because all of a sudden, the whole hallway turned silent that it made jisung's voice echoed. seungmin noticed that the other students are looking at them, or more like waiting for what could possibly happen next. in confusion, he looked around and saw the students looking at the both of them, even whispering to each other.  
  
_seriously? can't they focus on their own business?_ seungmin rolled his eyes inwardly. people be really like meddling with other people's business.  
  
everyone was still watching and didn't even dare to make a move as seungmin immediately sat up from the floor with a slight groan, kneeling and reaching for his phone, sighing in relief when it only got few scratches and still looks fine. he also reached for the folders that the guy he bumped onto was holding earlier. he held the folders to the guy who was slowly standing up, so seungmin hurriedly stood up too.  
  
"i'm so sorry, wait- i'm really sorry that i bumped onto you, i was on a hurry" seungmin apologized, even bowing a ninety degree and when he stood straight back up- the guy was now facing him.  
  
that was the very first time that seungmin felt his heart skipped a beat. this boy in front of him was dashing. he was slightly taller than seungmin and was looking at him coldly but those cold glares didn't cover the fact of how handsome and attractive he was. this guy's probably the most beautiful person that seungmin had ever seen in his whole existence. no kidding.  
  
and was that long hair that seungmin was seeing? damn. that long brown hair makes this man even more ethereal, seungmin suddenly had the urge to run his fingers on the man's hair, but he know he can't, that would just make him looks like a creep. he also noticed the cute birthmark under the man's left eye, and his lips... seungmin suddenly felt insecure with his lips. this man's lips just have to be so plump, pouty and pink that seungmin's feeling unfair.  
  
"i- uhm...uh.." seungmin mentally cursed himself in suddenly stuttering. he gulped as he suddenly felt shy in front of this unknown man.  
  
getting enough courage, he managed to slowly held the folders closer to the latter, avoiding his cold gaze as he squeaked out another apology.  
  
"i'm sorry again, here's your fol- eek!"  
  
seungmin didn't finish his words and was slightly startled when the slightly taller guy was quick to grab the folders harshly from seungmin's grip and gave him an even more icy glare. seungmin could practically hear the other students gasped at what just happened.  
  
calming down, and unbothered by the students and the taller boy's action, seungmin stared back, getting drown by the guy's brown orbs. his eyes was so mesmerizing.  
  
but then, seungmin was taken aback when the guy leaned forward to him, making him instinctively leaned back away too when their faces got too close with each other. seungmin gulped as his vision was practically shaking at how close the face of the other was to his.  
  
"next time, look where you're going, stupid"  
  
seungmin was taken aback, that's the first time that someone dared to talk to him like that, well his friends call him stupid but not in a harsh way like this guy, just a typical banter among friends.  
  
but seungmin swear that the latter's voice was another plus to how attractive he was. his voice was low and slightly hoarse as he told those words to seungmin with slight irritation visible in his voice. seungmin wasn't fazed at all by the slightly taller's presence and the obvious shock of the students around them.  
  
he heard a quiet 'tsk' from the other and seungmin followed his figure that was now walking away as he heard the hallway starting to get noisy again, students now gossiping and whispering to each other and walking to their classes while he's still looking at the direction where the guy had gone.  
  
"yah! kim seungmin! are you looking for trouble? did you really just bumped to the hwang hyunjin?"  
  
seungmin was cut out of his daze when jisung and minho came to his side. he looked at both of them in confusion when he noticed their expression, they looked concerned and quiet disturbed.  
  
"why are you guys looking like someone had died?" seungmin prompted before putting his attention to jisung, reaching out and smacking his best friend's head, earning a choke out groan from jisung, minho not even budging and even snorting because it's already a part of their daily lives.  
  
"what was that for?!" jisung cried out, rubbing his head to at least ease the pain.  
  
"that's for ditching me this morning for minho hyung. haven't we agreed on waiting for each other at the entrance of the university?!" seungmin nagged, rolling his eyes when jisung just laughed at him and threw him a finger heart.  
  
remembering something, seungmin snapped his fingers and looked at jisung, his irritation for the latter now gone as he'd already satisfied himself in smacking him. his attention is on something else now, or someone else rather.  
  
"what's the name you've mentioned again? the name of that guy i bumped with?" he questioned expectantly.  
  
he waits as jisung and minho shared confused glances before jisung answered him, or more like thrown him another question.  
  
"why are you asking for his name all of a sudden?" jisung asked suspiciously and pointed an accusing finger to seungmin. "don't tell me you've got smitten by that guy's visuals?! omg have you catched feelings?" he then added in disbelief.  
  
seungmin shrugged and pushed jisung's face that got closer to him. "what? isn't he attractive? maybe i'm low-key interested" he answered bashfully, followed with a small giggle.  
  
jisung's eyes widened comically as he turned to his boyfriend in disbelief. "love! did you hear what he said? he's interested to that guy!" he ranted but his boyfriend only shrugged, laughing softly.  
  
seungmin's brows furrowed at jisung's action. why? anything wrong with that guy for them to react like that?  
  
"why? is there something wrong with him?" he asked jisung, right eyebrow raised. his best friend shrugged.  
  
"wait, he's in the same high school with us?" seungmin asked in awe.  
  
how come i've never noticed that face before? seungmin thought as he tried to remember if he'd ever seen that guy before, but nope, no memory at all.  
  
"minnie, all you did back in highschool was study, study and did i mention study? you probably don't even know that he was in the same class with us" jisung rolled his eyes. "you don't pay any attention with your surroundings and even the people around you, you only pay attention in class discussion. you basically don't pay attention to anything you're not interested with, no wonder you don't know him or haven't heard of him before." jisung then frowned, huffing.  
  
"oh, you have a point, i guess" seungmin huffed, lost for words as he nodded slowly while jisung looked at him proudly because he'd proven a point.  
  
jisung's right, seungmin was like that. it's not that he was a nerd, he just don't care about other people he's not closed to on a daily basis. he only talks to his friends.  
  
"see? i'm right, and now you're suddenly telling us that you're interested to someone you barely know and doesn't even know existed during our high school? what if he's a part of some gang or something?" jisung concluded frantically, making seungmin shake his head.  
  
"you're acting like you're my mom" seungmin pointed out, shaking his head but there's a fond smile plastered on his face.  
  
"i don't care about those, i just want to know his name" seungmin clarified, reaching his hands to flick jisung's forehead. "and what gang are you talking about? are you insane? you don't even know him personally" he scolded.  
  
jisung looked at him in disbelief while caressing his forehead. "are you serious? minnie!" he whined and even stomped his feet like a child. "i'm just being a good friend that's why i'm telling you all this! it's a precautionary measure, you know" he pouted.  
  
seungmin patted jisung's shoulder. "sung, so what if he's really the coldest and rudest person in the campus? those are not enough to define who he is. who knows what kind of person he is" he prompted. "and besides, this is just a slight attraction, don't worry too much because i know what i'm doing and i'm aware that i don't really know him. thank you for being concern though" he assured, giving his best friend a cheeky grin.  
  
jisung sighed, nodding softly. seems like he calmed down, but oh well, he can't really argue with seungmin when it comes to this kind of stuff. seungmin is surely kind, thoughtful, and innocent but sometimes he can be a spawn of satan who he can't go against with, especially that this is the very first time that seungmin had taken interest over a person.  
  
and once seungmin took interest on something, or now someone. he always get on it in his own ways. but jisung's not sure though, seungmin's got no experience when it comes to this "tiny attraction" he's talking about. jisung's pretty sure it's crush at first sight. he just really hopes that seungmin would be fine.  
  
"now, tell me his name, i've been asking that for like the hundredth time now" seungmin gushed.  
  
they all chuckled and minho was the one who answered him.  
  
"that's hwang hyunjin, i've seen him at least twice now at the dance department, so i think he's a dance major student like me"  
  
seungmin nodded and thanked both of them. they talked a little longer before they went to their designated classes. they're taking different majors. minho's majoring in dance and jisung's majoring in music while seungmin's majoring in photography. jisung and seungmin are both freshmen while minho's a junior.  
  
seungmin found himself spacing out halfway through his first class. his professor was discussing about properties or something but seungmin can't find himself listening since he already had his advanced study about those. instead, he found himself doodling on the back of his notebook.  
  
"hyunjin...hwang.... hwang hyunjin..."  
  
he was doodling hwang hyunjin's name while unconsciously whispering it, remembering the incident earlier and hyunjin's out of this world visual. seungmin sighed as he remembered hyunjin's eyes. their eyes met but the latter's eyes doesn't bare anything at all.  
  
hyunjin was glaring at him, but aside from that there's nothing more...just a glare, seungmin can't see any emotions from those brown orbs and he only found himself deeper in the thoughts of hyunjin's eyes. they are pretty, hyunjin's eyes, but they look so cold... _so empty._


	2. chapter 2

seungmin immediately hid himself behind a bush, holding in his whimpers when he landed on his butt when hyunjin was about to turn towards his location. seungmin sighed in relief when he carefully peaked from the slight spaces of the bush and found out that hyunjin was now walking to a different direction, probably going back to his department.  
  
"that was a close call" seungmin muttered to no one in particular as he slowly stood up and brushed off the dried leaves and small twigs that stick to his pants.  
  
"what was the close call?"  
  
"ah!— yah, han jisung! what are you doing here?!"  
  
and what could jisung get from surprising seungmin like that? of course, another smack on the head. jisung pouted and caresses his head as not soon after he gave seungmin a knowing look and a teasing poke on the waist, which caused the latter to let out a small shrieked.  
  
"i knew it, you're pining over hwang hyunjin again!" jisung accused cheekily, giving seungmin a knowing smile yet again.  
  
"yah! i'm not pining over him!" seungmin exclaimed, sounding defensive.  
  
"pining over who?" minho butted in when he reached the two. he gave jisung a kiss on the forehead as he gave seungmin a smile after.  
  
seungmin rolled his eyes at his friends' affections in front of him. he'd always feel so single when he's with minho and jisung. he'd always been their third-wheeling when all of them are together, that's why when they're asking to hang out, he refused most of the times just so he can't won't deal with their public display of affection.  
  
"who else? it's seungmin, look, he's here again near your department building, stalking hwang hyunjin" jisung pointed to seungmin who glared at him but was blushing furiously. caught red-handed.  
  
"it's not stalking! i'm just...checking on him..." seungmin defended, trailing over his last words.  
  
minho chuckled and patted seungmin's shoulder. "checking on him every lunch break for three months straight now, yep. definitely not stalking, minnie" he pointed out in utter sarcasm, jisung laughing and poking seungmin's sides again.  
  
seungmin pouted, smacking jisung's hand and stomped his feet like a child. "stalking sounds creepy! and i'm definitely not a creep. and i only stalk him at the campus. i'm not like those crazy fans of some idols that follow them everywhere and invade their personal space. i swear, i'm just checking on him" he grumbled, fiddling with his fingers, still with a little pout on his lips.  
  
jisung laughed out loud at how seungmin looks like now. he's been crushing and checking on hyunjin for months now and jisung and minho still find it amusing and hilarious at the same time that seungmin actually catches feelings for someone like hwang hyunjin who practically don't have any care in the world. this is the very first time that seungmin got this interested to someone, and of all people, his feelings had chosen hwang hyunjin.  
  
they actually thought that seungmin would lose interest towards hyunjin in the next days, they least expected that he'll actually last for a whole three months, and still counting, pining over hyunjin, looking at him from afar like a lovesick teenage girl.  
  
"okay, okay. whatever" jisung snorted. "i still can't believe that you're this whipped for someone you barely know!" he said in amusement, a little too amused for seungmin's liking.  
  
seungmin threw him a glare. "yah! can't i have feelings for someone?" he deadpanned.  
  
"not really, we're not just used to you gushing like this for someone. we thought the only thing you knew is studying" minho chuckled, and seungmin just pouted.  
  
"whatever you guys say, i'm going to my next class" seungmin retorted, turning away.  
  
he was about to walk when he remembered something, so he turned back around, jisung and minho giving him a "what?" look.  
  
"hyung called me last night. he's now back in korea, he invited me for a drink tomorrow night at the usual pub in itaewon, said i should invite you two, the drinks are on him. you guys up for it?" seungmin grinned.  
  
jisung and minho both nodded quickly, jisung clapping excitedly with little jumps on his place.  
  
"oh my freaking gosh! free drinks from your brother are the best! the fact that we rarely hang out with him because of his work makes it ten times better" jisung beamed. minho giggled and patted jisung's hair.  
  
"calm down, love. you're talking as if you're that good in drinking"  
  
jisung puffed his cheeks as he gave a teasing grin towards seungmin who raised a brow at him.  
  
"what you grinning at?" seungmin taunted.  
  
"i'm a better drinker than seungmin" jisung then stuck his tongue out at seungmin, minho laughing at the background.  
  
seungmin click his tongue as he rolled his eyes at his crazy couple of friends. sometimes he really questions his life choice of having friends as weird as jisung and minho. seungmin could also be weird sometimes, maybe that would do why he's friends with them.  
  
"so, what now? tomorrow night at seven? tomorrow's friday, no one needs to think about the hangover since it will be the weekends after"  
  
minho nodded, "yep, we'll be there tomorrow night. we can't say no over free drinks ya'know"  
  
seungmin nodded and waved them goodbye to go to his next class. minho and jisung have no afternoon classes today, so seungmin's pretty sure that they'll have a date or something. seungmin can't relate, the person he's pining over probably doesn't remember him by now. seungmin feels even more single now. it sucks having a crush but they're not crushing back.  
  
seungmin sighed as he just draw random sketches on the back of his notebook. as usual, he's not paying attention to the class discussion for the reason that he already knows them by advance studying. too bored and too deep in his thoughts for a certain person, seungmin got startled when his classmates shout out in victory, their chairs making a screeching sound on the floor, irritating seungmin.  
  
rolling his eyes, he checked his wristwatch and found out that their class is over, that's why his classmates are being their usual noisy selves. smiles of both victory and exhaustion are plastered on their faces as they pack their things, chatting with their close friends, not even minding the professor in front who just gave them a shake of the head before leaving the room after bidding a goodbye that no one pays attention to. students be always wilding during dismissals, well, who wouldn't? it's a freedom from a prison called school.  
  
seungmin stayed seated as he waited for all of his classmates to get out of the classroom, also for the students at the hallways to lessen. he hates walking together with a sea of sweaty and probably smelly students that's why he always takes some minutes to wait till the students are lesser. he always been doing this ever since middle school for that reason, along side jisung who just really hates crowds in particular.  
  
after packing his things and making sure that the students are lesser and are at least one meter away from him, seungmin made his way out of the classroom. he received a text from minho saying that he should go to the cafe near their campus, seungmin texted back, refusing because he'll be third-wheeling with minsung again, but minho was quick to text back that they're with felix and jeongin, their friends from other school. seungmin quickly said that he's coming after knowing, since it's been a while since the five of them had hanged out.  
  
they're supposed to all meet up at four o'clock and it's quarter to four now, he still have time since walking to the cafe will only take fifteen minutes, and he hates hurrying.  
  
he was kicking a small stone as he took the direction to the university's entrance. he was looking down, so he didn't notice that someone was walking opposite his direction. the person was on his phone, not knowing what would happen not until his phone was flying away from his hold, cracking and shattering sound following after as the gadget dropped on the ground.  
  
the person looked up, eyes sharp. in a blink of an eye, seungmin thought that he might as well die at that moment or just let the ground devour him alive.  
  
"you, again"  
  
seungmin gulped, hearing that same cold, deep tone of the person he'd been pining of for months now, hwang hyunjin. seungmin quickly bowed down, apologizing..  
  
"i-i'm sorry!"  
  
he lost control of his strength and kicked the stone with more force without knowing that someone was walking opposite his direction. and of all people, why hwang hyunjin? luck and cupid surely aren't on seungmin's side.  
  
"first you've bumped into me, sending me on the fucking floor and now you've just knocked and broke my fucking phone. what the fuck were you thinking kicking stones at an open ground where there could be students passing by?" hyunjin raged, he's not even shouting nor raising his voice, what makes him more intimidating and scarier.  
  
seungmin gulped. his mind was telling him to run away but another part of him was telling him to stay, of course. he noticed the now broken and shattered phone on the ground, seungmin's pretty sure that it can't be repair anymore. the phone was an iphone 7, seungmin got confused why hyunjin seems so riled up over a phone version that's been pretty old now.  
  
but then, who is he to judge? it's still a phone, who knows if it's important for hyunjin. not everyone could afford a latest phone anyway, who knows if hyunjin can buy a new phone or not. but wait, hyunjin had afford to study at their university, then it means that he could also afford a new phone, right? seungmin doesn't really know though.  
  
with all these thoughts, a painful realization hit seungmin like a truck.  
  
he knows nothing about hyunjin, other than he's a schoolmate and a dance major.  
  
"i'm really sorry, i'll just buy you a new phone, the latest one too if you want" seungmin uttered, looking away.  
  
hyunjin scoffed as if seungmin said some kind of joke. their eyes met, and there it is again, the same emotionless eyes that seungmin saw the first time they met. but no, it's not totally void from emotions right now, seungmin could see anger. of all the emotions that he could see from hyunjin, really, anger?  
  
"i don't fucking need your stupid money. why? do you want to show off that you can buy me a damn iphone 11? bullshit!" hyunjin spat, his voice slightly raised.  
  
seungmin's eyes widened, welling with tears threatening to pour out, he bit his lower lip that was wobbling as he tried to stop himself from crying, but of course, his eyes betrayed him and tears started to fall.  
  
"i- t-that's...i didn't" i didn't mean it like that. seungmin stammered, he want to say that he didn't mean it like that, that he didn't mean to offend hyunjin, that he was just trying to be kind, that it's just a way that he thought of to say sorry and make up for the phone he'd broken.  
  
but nothing came out of seungmin's mouth, other than sobs and sniffles. he tried to wipe the tears away, but they just keep on falling and falling. hyunjin was caught of guard, seungmin saw his expression faltered from angry to a concern one and some kind of guilty, but it was quick to be back in anger.  
  
"you're annoying. don't ever show your face to me again"  
  
hyunjin huffed irritatedly as he turned away, he don't even think of getting his words back, he just dissapeared away, leaving seungmin still crying at the now empty campus grounds.  
  
seungmin watches as hyunjin dissapeared into sight, he didn't even bother to pick up his phone, but then, why would he even bother to pick up a totally shattered and broken phone anyway.  
  
seungmin felt his phone vibrated, sighing and wiping the last few tears that escaped his eyes, he checked and it was jisung asking where he is now. it's passed four already. seungmin sighed, calming himself as he wiped the now dried tears on his face. texting jisung back and telling that he can't make it, lying that he's got an urgent special project to be finish.  
  
he looked at the direction where hyunjin went and dissapeared. he looked down at the broken phone on the ground, deep in his thoughts of hyunjin. pain coming through his chest suddenly. he don't know what happened for hyunjin to be like that, so cold and hard to read.  
  
but somehow, hyunjin had this weird effect on seungmin that's making him want to know hyunjin, to know everything about him.


	3. chapter 3

if you think that seungmin would give up just because of what happened between him and hyunjin, you're wrong. you can't choose who to have feelings for, it just happens. thus, seungmin's feelings didn't falter any less. contrary to what happened, it just made his feelings for hyunjin even deeper. he wants to know hyunjin.  
  
hyunjin is like a book that is so hard to read and seungmin wants to decipher him. to read him, to know him, to help him. seungmin could see that there's something wrong, there's a high chance that hyunjin was like that because maybe something happened to him that made him like that. he won't let hyunjin go. seungmin will always stay on track. he wants to reach hyunjin.  
  
"but how? he obviously hates me" seungmin sighed.  
  
he trashed his legs around, rolling all over his bed in utter frustration. how do you even reach out for someone who practically doesn't give any care with anything or anyone? it also doesn't help that seungmin doesn't usually care about anyone who's not his friends or people closed to him, but now's different with hyunjin in the picture and seungmin seriously don't have any idea how to get close to him, especially now that hyunjin practically holds grudges to him because of those two unfortunate encounters of them.  
  
"this is hard, having a crush and caring for them so much when they obviously doesn't care about you"  
  
seungmin groaned, sitting up as he ruffles his messy hair, checking the time. five o'clock. today's friday, he's supposed to be at the pub at seven according to what they've agreed on. with a sigh, seungmin got out of bed to prepare. he only has one class that day so he got plenty of rest in the morning and noon with some scanning of his next lessons and schedules.  
  
checking the time once he'd finished preparing, it says 5:45 pm. still pretty early, he could take the subway for a forty minutes travel to past time but he's pretty sure that trains are packed at this hour, so he'd rather stay and scan through his photographies for a project and take a five minute travel through taxi later.  
  
when he was finallu waiting for a taxi, he received a text from his brother and minsung, saying that they're on their way, seungmin replied that he's on his way too, that's when a taxi arrived. seungmin immediately get on and told where he's headed.   
  
not long after, he arrived at itaewon, giving his fair, he went out and was met by the people spending their night at the district. both locals and foreigners are enjoying the nightlife at itaewon, with loud sounds coming from the bars and neon and moving lights filling the streets and pathways. seungmin sighed in content as he walk to the direction of the place where they're meeting while trying all his best not to bump with anyone due to how crowded the area was.  
  
at last, seungmin arrived at the pub, a purple neon light above says the name of the pub glamoury. its the usual pub him and his friends always hang out to when they turned adults, minus jeongin because he still has one last year before being an official adult. he showed his identification card for verification, saying thank you as he finally entered the place.  
  
"minnie! over here!" jisung practically yelled, waving his hands.  
  
seungmin shook his head in embarrassment as some of the guests inside looked at jisung's direction, the usual corner where they always sit. shaking off the embarrassment that his friends are always giving him, seungmin treated his way to jisung, he could already see minho and his brother talking to each other.  
  
"hey" seungmin greeted, taking the seat beside his brother, minho and jisung in front of them.  
  
"you're always the last to arrive" his brother pointed out, minho and jisung laughing as seungmin just smiled cheekily.  
  
"oh, wonpil hyung, we all know too well that it would be a miracle if seungmin arrives first" minho chuckled.  
  
minho earned a tissue thrown at his direction, of course that was from seungmin who pouted when the three of them just ended up laughing even more. as they all calmed down, wonpil and minho went to get them drinks, leaving seungmin and jisung. the older looks like he's checking something important on his phone so seungmin didn't bother to start a conversation and just looked around the place.  
  
its been a while since they last went at glamoury since they've been busy at the university and his brother doesn't invite them that often since he's busy with his work. nothing particular changed at glamoury, everything's still the same two-storey building with the stylish interiors and glittering chandeliers.  
  
glamoury is one of the most expensive pub located at itaewon. the place mostly attracts fashionable elites to young executives, both locals and foreigners for being known as a pub with upscale setting and specialty in cocktails and other drinks, even their soju is a must have. the abstract here is relaxed, with unobstructive house music playing in the background, which seungmin loves the most. there's a central horseshoe-shaped bar fronted with skilled mixologist who can easily whip up the drink you'd like.  
  
"oh?"  
  
seungmin perked up, squinting his eyes at the bar as he noticed someone familiar, their eyes even met for a split second.  
  
"why?" jisung questioned, noticing his action.  
  
seungmin turned to his friend and gestured at the bar, "i saw hyunjin" he answered, turning back to look at the bar, his forehead creasing when the said man wasn't there anymore.  
  
"huh? hyunjin? there's no one there, that's the same mixologist we've seen before, minnie" jisung stated, sitting back properly on his seat, sending seungmin a teasing grin.  
  
seungmin rolled his eyes and pointed at the bar, "i swear i saw him! that was hyunjin! our eyes even met for a split second!" he explained, sounding defensive as he slammed back on his seat, glancing back at the bar again to check but hyunjin wasn't really there now. he groaned.  
  
jisung laughed in amusement, just nodding and pretending that he believes seungmin as he went back on his phone. "your crush for hwang hyunjin is unhealthy, you're hallucinating now and your eyes met for a split second? i take my words back, i think you're becoming delusional now, minnie" he blurted, chuckling when seungmin groaned in protest and threw a tissue at him.  
  
"shut up" was the only words that seungmin had managed to say back.  
  
there's no point in continuing this banter, jisung will obviously win, especially that seungmin don't have a proof that he really saw hyunjin, wait was it even hyunjin that he saw? he swear it was hyunjin, but he dissapeared as fast as their eyes met in split second that jisung didn't see him.  
  
perhaps, was i really hallucinating? seungmin thought. as what he can remember, hyunjin was wearing the uniform of glamoury's mixologist, seungmin shake his head. no, kim seungmin, why would he be working here? he can't be. he's slowly considering at this point that maybe jisung was right that he was just hallucinating and being delusional or something.  
  
seungmin sighed as he shrugged away the thoughts of hyunjin. maybe his eyes and brain were just deceiving him because he didn't see hyunjin at the university that morning.  
  
"that's one deep sigh, what happened?" minho remarked, placing their drinks on the table, wonpil did the same before they both sat down, waiting for seungmin to answer the question.  
  
"he said he saw hyunjin"   
  
seungmin gave jisung a sharp glare, the latter just sticking his tongue out and giving him a peace sign. sometimes seungmin really questions why jisung was his best friend.  
  
"who?" wonpil raised them a brow, taking a sip of his cocktail.  
  
"hwang hyunjin, our schoolmate, hyung. your little brother here has a crush, for the very first time" jisung nodded, taking a sip of his drink too.   
  
wonpil gasped and turned to seungmin who was blushing and kicked jisung's legs under the table. jisung let out a strangled noise, he was about to protest but backed out, laughing and just chosen to looked away, ignoring the pain on his feet when he saw seungmin's glares at him. minho giggled softly when he noticed the two, jisung can't never put up with an angry seungmin.  
  
"oh goodness, you're actually crushing on someone now? thank god, i thought you'll die single" wonpil sighed as if a large weight was removed from his shoulders, he sounds a little more relieved for seungmin honestly.  
  
seungmin rolled his eyes at his brother's reaction.  
  
"seriously, what's the big deal on me having feelings for someone? not because i'm the only one who's single here doesn't mean that y'all can rub it all over my face" seungmin groaned, taking his drink and chugging it down and regretting of doing so when his throat burn and he started coughing.  
  
the other three all laughed at his misfortune. seungmin groaned and grabbed the glass of water instead and drunk it, but the burning sensation of the liquor was still there on his throat. he rolled his eyes at his friends.  
  
"hey, careful with your drinking. i don't wanna deal with a drunk seungmin, that's no joke, bro and besides it's still too early to get drunk" wonpil reminded, minho and jisung agreeing.  
  
"yeah, yeah. whatever" seungmin dismissed the topic of him getting drunk immediately. his alcohol tolerance is really low, he'll be down by three glasses, sometimes with even just two depending on how strong the drink is.  
  
"but going back to seungmin's crush, what was the name again?" wonpil asked minho and jisung, sounding excited that it made seungmin roll his eyes yet again.  
  
"hwang hyunjin, our schoolmate. he's also a dance major, why do you know him, hyung?" minho answered and asked because wonpil seems to be thinking of something.  
  
"hmm, based on his name and your description of him, i think he's the same person i know" wonpil hummed, nodding and getting his phone up to look on something.  
  
seungmin who was pretending that he wasn't listening to him, turned to wonpil immediately when he heard what he said. he saw that minho and jisung seem to be interested as well. but oh well, of course they'll be as interested as seungmin and probably looking for a way to tease him more about his crush.  
  
minutes after, wonpil turned his phone to them and showed them a group picture, seungmin's eyes widening in sync with minho and jisung as wonpil zoomed the picture on a particular person, to hyunjin.  
  
"is this the hwang hyunjin you three are talking about?" the oldest questioned, the three of them nodding in unison.  
  
seungmin was speechless as he stared at hyunjin's zoomed picture. it was a group picture of the whole employees and crew at glamoury and hyunjin was one of them.  
  
seungmin perked up and pointed an accusing finger to jisung. "see?! i told you i really saw him! i wasn't hallucinating or delusional, you rat!" he protested.  
  
"oh my freaking gosh! he's an employee here?! so seungmin did see him!" jisung blurted out, but there's a hint of sarcasm in his voice.  
  
seungmin huffed, crossing his arms over his chest, giving jisung a glare as he turned to wonpil, waiting for a further explanation and asking him why he know hyunjin.  
  
wonpil chuckled, shrugging as he exit from his gallery and put his phone away. "i know every employee of glamoury. what kind of boss would i be if i don't even know who my employees are?" he answered nonchalantly.  
  
"oh, right. i almost forget wonpil hyung actually owns this pub and he's not actually paying for our drinks whenever he's with us here" minho laughed, they all laugh, well except for seungmin for he's deep in thoughts. the reaction he got from hyunjin for breaking his phone actually makes sense now.  
  
he quickly looked back to wonpil and asked him, "he's working here? then how is he able to study at our university? even if you tell me he's working here full time and even over time, the money he'll get is still not enough to afford studying there, so how?"  
  
minho and jisung just kept quiet as they also wait for wonpil's explanation. the eldest smiles softly.  
  
"hyunjin's an orphan. he was from the orphanage that our company was sponsoring. ah, right. none of you have gone to the orphanage before" wonpil explained, giggling softly. seungmin didn't say a word and just waited for wonpil to explain further, while jisung and minho just stayed quiet and listen too.  
  
"let's just say that the company is sponsoring him in college and since i admire his determination and hard work, i offered him a job here and he started not long ago when he entered college, though he only works at night every fridays and weekends so he could still focus on his studies." he explained. "i've seen him many times at the orphanage before, i don't know why he seems to be isolating himself from everyone, i'm glad he even accepted my offer for him to work here" he added.  
  
"guess he had it tough" minho said softly, jisung nodded with a guilty expression.  
  
"now i felt bad for thinking that hyunjin's a part of a gang or something" jisung pouted, he earned a questioning look from wonpil so he chuckled nervously. "don't get me wrong, hyung. i just thought of it because we don't know him and seungmin just blurted out that he's interested to hyunjin. we don't even know even during high school that he's an orphan" he explained himself.  
  
wonpil nodded in understanding, laughing softly. "well, hyunjin's actually kind, at least for me. maybe he's just really reserved and quiet and don't want to socialize. never did it cross my mind that hyunjin is a part of a gang" he told them, laughing.  
  
"well, jisung got a wild imagination. sometimes its bothering me, honestly" minho prompted, laughing when he earned a whine and a slight slap on the shoulder from jisung.  
  
meanwhile, seungmin was quiet as the other three talk, deep in his own thoughts and didn't bother to listen to them. he's so curious, confused, too many emotions to list it all.  
  
he feels great sympathy for hyunjin. he felt even more guilty now for not being careful and breaking the latter's phone, seungmin wonders how hard he earned money to buy that phone.   
  
he understand now why hyunjin told him those words, seungmin's words could have been really offensive for hyunjin. the latter obviously has a valid and deep reason to be like that and seungmin can't blame him to stay away from people, from everyone, we're leaving in a judgemental society after all.   
  
seungmin felt even sadder at the thought of how hard it could have been for hyunjin before, and even now. and come to think of it, he haven't been on their sponsored orphanage before, not even once. he sighed.  
  
first he didn't know that he was in the same high school as hyunjin and now he learned that hyunjin was actually an orphan and was under their sponsored orphanage but he haven't been their even once. maybe seungmin's just really unfortunate.  
  
just learning of hyunjin's existence now when he could've known and met the latter before.  
  
maybe i'm hopeless in love. seungmin thought, groaning and taking a sip of his drink in utter frustration. he can't believe how unlucky he is, seems like fate wasn't on his side. maybe if he wasn't that ignorant before then maybe he had known hyunjin already.  
  
but oh well, even if he'd known hyunjin before or just know, he doubt that there will be any difference, hyunjin will probably be still cold and so hard to read, too quiet and reserved. yep, seungmin's hopeless.  
  
"hey, mind telling us about your crush? any progress? have you talk to him? meet with him?" jisung brought seungmin out of his thoughts.  
  
"huh?"   
  
the three chuckled. "i said any progress with hyunjin?" jisung repeated.  
  
seungmin glared at his best friend. "shut up, it's none of your business" he hissed.  
  
jisung raised his hand as he chuckled. "chill, just update us when you got any progress. but honestly i'm just waiting for the two of you to kiss" he said bashfully, earning him another tissue thrown at him by seungmin. wonpil and minho could only chuckle.  
  
"han jisung, you're really crazy i don't know why i'm friends with you" seungmin shook his head.  
  
"you love me" jisung said cheekily, earning an eye roll from seungmin because he damn right.  
  
the night passed by and they just continued to drink and talk, the topic of hyunjin dies as they all went to random topics. seungmin was glancing at the bar from time to time, hoping to see hyunjin again but the latter never showed up again so seungmin just shrugged it off and focused on his brother and friends, maybe hyunjin had other things to do other than mixing drinks at the bar.  
  
little did seungmin know that the person he's looking for but he can't see was actually just in the bar, just out of his vision.   
  
hyunjin was just there silently watching seungmin while mixing drinks.


	4. chapter 4

"you're really crushing to hwang hyunjin?" wonpil asked, focusing at the road. he offered to drive seungmin back at his place.  
  
seungmin nodded sheepishly, humming. "yeah, pretty sure of my feelings right now" he answered, staring outside.  
  
"i've known him for a while now because i often visit the orphanage, that kid had been through a lot in the past as what i've heard from the people there, but i can't tell you what kind of past though, just to respect hyunjin's personal request to not tell anybody. i only learned of his past because i'm the one in charged in sponsoring the orphanage, i pretty much know a lot about the orphans there but hyunjin was something else, i guess" wonpil stated softly.  
  
seungmin didn't say a word, he just stared outside the window. just what kind of past does hyunjin has? seungmin is dying to know but he knows that he can't, he respect hyunjin's privacy, and they're not even close from the very first place.  
  
"i'm pretty sure his past has something to do by how he's living his life now. that kid literally keeps himself away from everyone, he's good at his job at glamoury but he barely talks at work as what the other employees had told me when i'm visiting there. even me, his boss and practically his sponsor in college, he don't even greet me even though i know he still pays respect for me, i can clearly feel and see it" wonpil shake his head in amusement.  
  
"he basically doesn't have any care in the world, i don't know if that's even normal. but he's pretty nice, just really not expressive and is way too reserved" wonpil chuckled a little, maneuvering to turn his car and parking in front of the building complex where seungmin lives.  
  
wonpil turned to seungmin and gave the younger a soft smile, "so, i'm not telling you to stop your feelings for him, but i don't want you to get hurt. i'm sure that hyunjin's a good guy deep inside, but he's...i don't know, i think maybe he's still clouded by whatever past he has. i don't want you two to end up hurting each other" he stated in concern.  
  
seungmin gave his brother a small smile, reaching to hold the older's hand that was still on the stirring wheel, "don't worry hyung, i know what i'm doing. as what you said, hyunjin's a good guy deep inside, whatever past he has, i don't care. that doesn't define who he is now in the present, and doesn't dictate what he should be in the future. i want to be someone that would be there for him, even though it seems like he doesn't have any care for me" he answered softly, whispering the last part.  
  
wonpil stared at the younger, a soft smile plastered on his lips. seungmin is so different than what he was before, wonpil can't believe that seungmin actually cares for someone now other that his family and close friends. ah, crushes, love or whatever could really make someone change. but it's not that seungmin was that ignorant before, he's truly kind and mature, he knows when and where to care for someone else, but maybe it's a lot different now because his feelings are involved. man, he likes a person now, like like, and wonpil is so proud that seungmin is focusing on something else other than studying.  
  
"ah, as expected from someone as kind hearted as you. are you an empath in your past life?" wonpil joked softly.  
  
seungmin chuckled, softly, rolling his eyes at the older as he removed his seat belt. "hyung, everyone could be an empath. we need to put ourselves in other's shoes, promote world peace or something"   
  
wonpil raised him a brow, "why are you suddenly promoting world peace?"   
  
seungmin shrugged, chuckling and opening the car door, "i just felt like it" he grinned. "bye hyung, see you when i see you" he blew a kiss towards the older before hopping off the car and closing the door.  
  
wonpil watches as seungmin takes the direction of his unit building. a fond and excited smile appeared on wonpil's lips as he sighed in relief and started the car engine, muttering under his breath as he drove off.  
  
"ah young love, if you two are really meant for each other, i hope no one will get hurt, hyunjin had gone through many pains already and seungmin...i don't even want to imagine how hurt he may be if him and hyunjin won't work out, it's his first crush after all, is it even just a crush by now?"  
  
☾  
  
monday came and seungmin finds himself at the university's dance department. his first and second class just finished and he was supposed to meet with minho and jisung at one of the practice rooms to have lunch with them since the oldest was just practicing, might as well eat there than go somewhere that's surely packed with students.   
  
"this is such an expensive and prestigious university but they can't even have the money to fix the elevator?" seungmin ranted as he walked up the stairs. the elevator wasn't working, so he have no choice but to take the stairs to the fourth floor. "good grief" he huffed in frustration.  
  
he won't even agree to have lunch at the fourth floor if not for the free lunch that jisung and minho used as bait for him to agree to eat with them in the effin fourth floor.  
  
seungmin was half way through climbing up to the third floor when he heard a familiar music blasting out from one of the dance practice room at the second floor. he stopped his steps and glanced at his wristwatch to look at the time. shrugging, seungmin took the steps down back to the second floor with a cheeky grin.  
  
"guess those two love birds could wait for me a little longer" seungmin pertains to jisung and minho. "i'll just check this shortly" he giggled, skipping his way through the hallway towards the room where the music was coming.  
  
when the party's over by billie eilish was the song that was playing, the song that seungmin had been listening to these days, so he got curious and had the urge to check who's blasting that music, or maybe dancing to that music since he's in the dance department building, of course there might be students practicing and dancing.  
  
seungmin found himself in front of one of the practice rooms, but his brows furrowed when he could only here the music playing from inside but he could see that the lights were off. the door was slightly open, maybe that's why the music was so loud it reached the stairs.  
  
"eh? did someone forget to turn their music off?" seungmin uttered under his breath, peaking through the small opening of the door.  
  
seungmin's eyes widened when he saw a shadow, someone's silhouette inside, moving along the music. if it's possible for his eyes to be even wider, seungmin's sure that it would when he realized who was the person dancing inside. it was dark inside the practice room, but he's certain who it was.   
  
"hyunjin..." seungmin was quick to cover his mouth when he muttered the name, sighing in relief when the aforementioned seems to not notice him, maybe because of the music.  
  
he's been pining over hyunjin for a while now, been looking at him from afar that he knew too well now if the person is hyunjin. even in the darkness, he could tell that it was hyunjin just by his silhouette and body physique.  
  
"omo omo" seungmin muttered under his breath as he watch hyunjin dance along the music, now on the floor and doing those hip thrust. seungmin's eyes widened as he felt himself turning red.  
  
calm thyself kim seungmin.  
  
seungmin had seen minho dance before, and even their other friend, felix which is also a dance major in another school, but seungmin haven't been this mesmerized and in awe in watching them dance. sure, they're great dancers, but hyunjin just gives him different feelings. maybe because the latter is his crush?  
  
hyunjin was just dancing alone in the dark, had the lights off, his sweat glistening over his skin with his long brown hair moving and swaying along his movements and looking so cool, seungmin really loves hyunjin's hair.   
  
hyunjin really is talented and watching him dance was nerve wracking for seungmin.  
  
he silently watches hyunjin dance to the music, not even minding if hyunjin would notice him, one right turn to the right angle and hyunjin would probably notice him peaking through the small opening of the door, but fortunately, the latter was too focus on dancing to the music.  
  
hyunjin's movements are on point, moving gracefully. it doesn't help that seungmin knew the lyrics and message of the song. he could somehow feel the emotions that hyunjin's exerting on his choreography. it wasn't just a simple dance, it was a dance of both sadness and emptiness.  
  
"where did i even get the thought of sadness and emptiness?" seungmin muttered to himself, shaking his head. "guess that's just how powerful his dances are that it could stir up my emotions too" he shrugged, giggling and peeking again to watch hyunjin.   
  
if someone will see seungmin right now, they'll probably think that he's a creepy stalker, but thankfully, there's no one in the hallway and he hopes that there would be no one anytime soon.  
  
seungmin suddenly wonders if what hyunjin's showing through his dance was just a mere part of the dance routine included in the choreography or if it was his true real emotions, but he's pretty sure now it was the latter. seungmin had never seen a dance so expressing and emotional like this.   
  
it was as if hyunjin was one with both his emotions and dances.  
  
the music soon stopped and seungmin still watches silently as hyunjin dropped on his back flat on the floor, catching his breath heavily. seungmin can't see hyunjin's face since the latter was facing the ceiling and it was too dark inside the practice room. few moments later, hyunjin slowly stood up, walking to what seungmin noticed was the wall.  
  
seungmin flinched and squinted his eyes when the light illuminated the earlier dark practice room. he can now clearly see hyunjin and how drenched the latter was from his own sweat, seungmin shook his head when he thought how hot hyunjin looks at that moment.  
  
"i think i should leave now, minho hyung and jisung would end up eating all the foods if i stay any longer" seungmin muttered to himself after checking the time from his wristwatch. "but come to think of it, they may be eating each other's faces" he grimaced, shaking his head and get rid of the though quickly.  
  
with one last glance to hyunjin, seungmin turned on his heel and was about to walk away when he suddenly heard a shout of both frustration and anger followed by what seems like stuffs being thrown, so he stopped on his track abruptly and turned around immediately.  
  
"oh no..." seungmin gasped.  
  
the shout was of course coming from hyunjin who was throwing things that he grabbed from the long chair inside the practice room. seungmin flinched when he was sure that he heard a glass shattered, but there was no shattered glass on the dance practice room, so maybe whatever breaks was inside the bag that hyunjin threw.  
  
"what's with him?" seungmin muttered in worry as he fidgeted on his spot, head suddenly empty and doesn't have any idea what to do. he can't just show up and stop hyunjin, that would reveal that he was watching the dancer for a while now.  
  
"i could just say that i happened to pass by right?" he talked to himself, shaking his head. "no, no. what would be a photography major like me be doing in the dance department? that would be suspicious" he argued. "but then, i could just say that i have a friend here, right?" he defended, again, to himself.  
  
seungmin looks crazy right now, talking to himself while there was still hyunjin throwing things and shouting inside the practice room. seungmin shook his head, tapping his cheeks lightly to calm down and focus as he nodded in determination, a confident grin plastered on his lips.  
  
"but he doesn't know me, right? wait, does he? no, no, he hates me why would he even spend time to know my name or something" seungmin shook his head. "get a grip of yourself, kim seungmin. you'll just stop him before he hurt himself, okay?" he said firmly to himself before looking at hyunjin's direction again.  
  
"what the fluff...!" seungmin shrieked in shock.  
  
hyunjin was now carrying the chair and looks like he'll throw it to the mirrors on the wall. panicked rise in seungmin's system as hyunjin was about to chair so without second thought, he slammed the door opened, running inside.  
  
"hey, hey! stop or you'll break the university's property!" seungmin yelled in distress, pertaining to the mirrors.  
  
"you can get hurt too!" seungmin quickly added, stopping few feet away from hyunjin who was now looking at him in irritation.  
  
"what the fuck are you doing here? mind your own business" hyunjin spat, turning away from seungmin.  
  
to seungmin's relief, hyunjin put the chair down. he sighed as he hesitantly and silently followed hyunjin's movements. the latter went to the speaker and pulled out what seems like a flashdrive which makes sense to seungmin because hyunjin can't use his phone, well because seungmin broke it and he still don't know how he could make up for it because hyunjin obviously doesn't want him to do anything and seungmin doesn't want to do anything too, afraid that hyunjin would hate him more if he do anything.  
  
"why are you still here? get out"  
  
seungmin flinched when hyunjin suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. he opened his mouth but closed them again when nothing came out, he don't have any idea what to say, so he just stood there frozen on his spot, hyunjin not even bothering to throw him a glance and just started to pick up the things that he'd thrown earlier.  
  
"did you fucking hear me? or you can't understand korean? i said get out, didn't i?" hyunjin griped. he wasn't even raising his voice but there's finality in it, seungmin doesn't know where he got the courage to still stay.  
  
"i...uhm..i was just.." seungmin tried to stammer an excuse but he can't come with anything.  
  
giving him a cold stare, hyunjin shook his head in utter annoyance as he pick up the last piece of whatever he'd thrown on the floor earlier and put it inside his backpack.  
  
"yah! where are you going?" seungmin questioned rather frantically.  
  
hyunjin just turned away from seungmin and is now walking towards the door.  
  
"out" hyunjin simply said, not bothering to look back. "you won't get out, so i would" he added nonchalantly.   
  
seungmin's mouth agape in both shock and disbelief. he feels so betrayed, he feels that hyunjin is being so unfair. he don't why hyunjin always act like this towards him, as if he has a contagious disease that could kill him or something.  
  
seungmin had enough.  
  
"i don't get you!" seungmin blurted out.  
  
hyunjin stopped on his tracks, he just stay still and didn't turn back. silently waiting if seungmin will say more.  
  
"what the heck is your problem?! what did i do wrong for you to treat me like this? i mean, yeah i bumped to you and broke your phone but still..." seungmin took a deep breath.  
  
"why are you like this?! i said sorry many times already! i could even get you a new phone to make up with you!"   
  
hyunjin didn't say anything and it frustrates seungmin even more. he clenched his fist in anger.  
  
"just...why do you hate me so much?!"   
  
seungmin yelled so loud that he felt like the veins on his neck would pop anytime. he's so frustrated right now, he'd never felt this frustrated in his whole life, this is the first time, and of all reasons, why does it have to be because of the person he likes?  
  
"i don't hate you"   
  
seungmin's heartbeat picked up as hyunjin finally spoke. the latter was still not looking at him, so seungmin has no choice but to stare at hyunjin's back.  
  
"then—"  
  
seungmin didn't finish what he was about to argue when hyunjin beat him to it.  
  
"but i don't have any reason to like you either, so stay away from me"  
  
with that, without saying any more words, hyunjin walked away and then out of the practice room, leaving seungmin alone. seungmin stared blankly at the now closed door.   
  
dumbfounded.


	5. chapter 5

finals had came and passed by but through it all, hyunjin's words didn't leave seungmin's mind. the latter's words was seriously stuck inside seungmin's mind when he was taking an examination, fortunately he managed to brush the thought away at least until he finished all of his exams. reviewing and revising his notes wasn't that much of a hassle since seungmin's already good at it, a constant thought of hyunjin can't stop him from focusing.  
  
the last time he saw hyunjin was of course at the practice room, seungmin fortunately did good in lying to minho and jisung about why he was late at their lunch that day, he told them he had an upset stomach and they actually believed it, well, they have trust that seungmin wouldn't dare to lie because he's an angel, but maybe they forgot that seungmin can actually a little spawn of satan too when he wanted.  
  
seungmin had to focused on his exams and final projects and requirements so he had no time to see hyunjin, or more like stalk hyunjin. but maybe he now have a slight confident to go near and approach hyunjin since he already said that he doesn't hate seungmin. just wanted him to stay away from him, is that even better?  
  
"i don't hate you, but i don't have any reason to like you either"  
  
seungmin scoffed, groaning and banging his head on the table as he again remembered hyunjin's words, but of course, he end up whining when the pain hit him.   
  
"i don't hate you, but i don't have any reason to like you either my ass" seungmin mimicked, mocking hyunjin even though the latter wasn't there and can't see him. "as if that would stop me and my feelings for him" he huffed, crossing his arms over his chest.  
  
a frown soon appears on his face as he stared outside the cafe that he was chilling at as of the moment. he sighed. he still have too many questions. like why is hyunjin like that? why do hyunjin wants seungmin to stay away from him? why is hyunjin seems to isolate himself from everyone?   
  
"and why he doesn't like me?!" seungmin huffed. grabbing his phone and looking at his reflection on the screen, pointing at his face. "this face? he doesn't like? is he blind or something? who wouldn't like someone like kim seungmin?!" he talked to his reflection.  
  
he maybe doesn't give anycare to anything or anyone back in high school, but seungmin was well aware of all the admirers he had before. he remembered them giving him chocolates that goes to his friends mouths, flowers and love letters that all goes to the thrash bin and flowery words and compliments that goes through seungmin's one ear and then will quickly goes passed the other ear, that's how seungmin show that he doesn't have interest or any care to any of them.  
  
"but now?" seungmin muttered in gritted teeth . "i practically got rejected and i haven't yet to tell him that i like him!" he huffed, slamming his phone on the table in utter disbelief.  
  
"he's not even that pretty!" seungmin blurted but he was quick to shake his head and take his words back. "wait, he is pretty, who am i kidding? damn that long hair, birthmark under his eye and lips of him, oh wait, damn his face that screams pretty and ethereal!" seungmin fakes cry as he rant to no one in particular.  
  
"i don't- what?!"  
  
he was just ranting to himself about hyunjin when someone tapped his shoulder softly. he turned to his side irritatedly, raising his brow when he noticed that it was one of the staff in the cafe he's in. the girl seems hesitant and a little scare to say what's on her mind so he just gestured the tables near to seungmin's.  
  
he frowned when he notices that the customers are looking at his table, at him more specifically, giving him either irritated or weird looks.   
  
"oh" was the only thing that he was able to say before looking back to the girl staff in front of him, giving her a, "what now" look.  
  
"not to sounds rude, sir, but you're being too loud. you're distracting the customers near you, so may we ask you to quiet down?" the girl requested softly.   
  
seungmin cleared his throat, trying to cover up the fact that he was actually embarrass at that moment, you just ranted about your complicated crush in public, kim seungmin. he was caught in his emotions, okay? let's just understand seungmin.   
  
he grabbed his still half-drunken drink and cellphone, giving the girl a sheepish smile before standing up.  
  
"i was about to leave anyways, i'm sorry" he quickly says.  
  
and with that said, he immediately stormed out of the coffee shop, ignoring all the customers that was giving him weird looks, seungmin won't even be surprise if they're judging them now, he literally just made himself look weird in public and now he don't have the courage to go back to that cafe again.  
  
"ah! that's one of my favorite cafe, what a shame" seungmin complained under his breath as he consumed his drink and threw the empty container in the trash bin he just passed by.  
  
"what should i do now? should i just go to the mall and call jisung to tag along?" seungmin whispered to himself, checking the time at his phone. it says three in the afternoon, still pretty early to go back to his place.  
  
he had planned to spend his afternoon lounging at the previous cafe until he think of other things to do, but now he had just to get out of that cafe and forced to do something unplanned.  
  
"let's meet at the mall at 3:45, i'll be waiting for you in front of gong cha" seungmin told jisung the very second the latter answered his call.  
  
he now decided to go to the mall to go buy something, and of course he don't want to go alone so he's dragging his best friend with him.  
  
"what? all of a sudden?" jisung sounded so confused and seems like he just woke up from a nap.  
  
"just go, or else i'm cutting our friendship" seungmin deadpanned before dropping the call, he chuckled when jisung texted him, questioning their so called friendship, but in the end, still agreed to meet at the mall.  
  
☽  
  
"you threatened me that you're cutting our friendship just so you'll have someone to accompany you in buying...a phone?!" jisung asked in disbelief, earning stares from other customer.  
  
"i need someone to tell me what phone color is the best to buy, okay?" seungmin answered sheepishly, raising phones in each of his hands and showing them to jisung. "now, gray or purple?" he asked.  
  
jisung frowned. "you could've just asked me that through phone!" he complained but still pointed at his choice of color. "purple"  
  
seungmin chuckled, "where's the fun in that?" he prompted while examining the phone. "and besides, i know you have nothing to do because minho hyung went to visit his family today, i just saved your lonely ass, sungie" he added, showing the purple phone to a still frowning jisung again.  
  
"are you sure it's purple? i don't think he'll like this" seungmin said, uncertain.  
  
jisung raised him a brow. "what do you mean? i thought the phone's for you" he asked grumpily but he perked up when he came to a realization. "wait a minute...why are you buying a new phone when the one you're currently using is still functioning?"  
  
seungmin just stared at jisung and rolled his eyes, "what's wrong in buying a new phone?" he deadpanned, checking the other phone colors.  
  
"are you telling me you're buying a new one just because it fell that one time you bump with hyunjin?!" jisung exclaimed in both disbelief and amusement. "wow...stop rubbing to my face that you're that rich" he scoffed playfully.  
  
seungmin huffed and turned to look at jisung, unamused, "first of all, it's been months since i bumped with hyunjin and dropped my phone, if me dropping my phone is the case then i should've bought a new phone right after that incident" he deadpanned. "and besides, all my phone got was little scratches why would i bother buying a new one when its still working perfectly fine" he added.  
  
"then why do you need to drag me out of my lovely bed and bring me at an apple store asking me what phone color you should choose?" jisung hissed.  
  
"second, i didn't forced you to, you agreed to come with m-"  
  
"you threatened me!" jisung cut seungmin off.  
  
seungmin grinned cheekily, "oh, yeah, maybe i did" he snorted softly.  
  
"i hate you, minnie. why are you my best friend?" jisung half groaned half whined, seungmin only chuckled and gave his best friend his innocent smile.  
  
"i love you too, sungie" he said sweetly before turning to the display of phones again. "and third and lastly, i'm not buying a new phone for myself, i'm buying it for someone else" he said softly, checking the gray colored phone.  
  
"for someone else? who then?" jisung asked, curiosity lingering in his voice. seungmin doesn't have any friends other than him, minho, felix and jeongin, so jisung is so curious right now. the new phone couldn't be for wonpil either, so who is it for?  
  
"why would i tell you?" seungmin pouted, showing the gray colored phone to jisung. "i've decided, i think gray would suit him and his personality more" he told the latter.  
  
jisung's brows furrowed. "then what's the point of asking my opinion?" he asked in disbelief because he had chosen purple earlier but here is seungmin deciding to get the gray colored one.  
  
"so me calling you and asking you to come won't go in vain" seungmin shrugged.  
  
"kim seungmin!" jisung whined.   
  
seungmin laughed and showed the phone to the staff, "i'll take this, thank you" he said softly before turning to jisung who was looking at him grumpily.  
  
"what?" seungmin said innocently.  
  
jisung huffed, "you're really a spawn of the devil, minnie. i miss my bed" he pouted. "at least tell me who you're buying that phone" he added grumpily.  
  
"i'll tell you later, let's grab some food at a restaurant after i get the phone. my treat so stop being grumpy" seungmin told jisung who immediately beamed at the mention of free foods. jisung's happiness is simple, other than minho, foods also makes him happy.  
  
the both of them waited for the phone while bickering to each other, jisung still curious on who would be the owner of the food. so when they got the phone, went to seungmin's favorite restaurant and settled themselves, jisung can't help himself but to ask seungmin again.  
  
"sung, can we order foods first?" seungmin chuckled, reaching for the menu that the waiter was giving to them after he placed the bag with the phone he bought beside him.  
  
jisung sighed as he had no choice but to get the menu from the waiter too. they both tell their orders as the waiter listed all of it, seungmin raising his brow as he already finished yelling out his orders but jisung was still telling his.  
  
"what?" jisung asked innocently when the waiter finished repeating their orders before bowing and leaving them.  
  
"can you even finish all of the foods you ordered?" seungmin shook his head, knowing that jisung is taking advantage of him because it's his treat.  
  
"of course, i won't order them if i won't be able to finish them, you know" jisung said cheekily. "and you rarely treat me even though you have tons of money, so i can't let this opportunity slide" he added with a snort.  
  
seungmin rolled his eyes at his best friend. jisung will always be jisung. "suit yourself" was seungmin's only response as he fished his phone from his pocket.  
  
when jisung noticed that seungmin will be using his phone instead of telling him what he's been asking for, he quickly reached forward to snatched the other's phone, seungmin looking up with a little irritated, "hey" and "give my phone back" to jisung who shook his head and put seungmin's phone in his pocket instead.  
  
"na uh, you won't get your phone back, not until you answer the question that i've been asking you" jisung denied firmly.  
  
seungmin stared at him in disbelief. "what question?" he asked, confused.  
  
jisung groaned and threw a tissue at his friend's face, "stop playing innocent! to whom did you buy the new phone? you told me you'll tell me at the restaurant, and now we're here and finished ordering, so tell me already!" he whined.  
  
seungmin laughed as he watched jisung whine like a child. "why are you even so curious on whom the phone is for?" he questioned.  
  
"because it's suspicious!" jisung answered. "why are you buying a new phone so suddenly? it's not for you, that's what you told. and you don't have other friends aside from us four!" jisung pertains to him, minho, felix and jeongin. "so to whom is that phone for? it can't be for your brother either" he finished reasoning out.  
  
"okay, okay, you have a good point. you got me" seungmin chuckled.  
  
jisung raised him a brow, "so? to whom did you buy that phone for?" he asked again.  
  
"it's for hyunjin"   
  
jisung's mouth dropped in shock as he stared at seungmin trying to look if he's just kidding, but nah, seungmin seems serious and he's the type of person that rarely lies. right, why didn't jisung think of hyunjin? aside from seungmin's friends and his brother, hyunjin is someone that seungmin likes and cares for. of course, it could be hyunjin.  
  
but jisung gasped comically when a certain thought entered his mind, he sent his friend a suspicious look while pointing an accusing finger at him. seungmin sending him a questioning look.  
  
"why did you buy him a phone? don't tell me you're making yourself his sugar daddy?!" jisung accused.  
  
seungmin could actually choke from his own spit as jisung's words registered in his mind. he looked at his best friend, and jisung actually looks like what he said was true.  
  
"what the heck are you saying?!" seungmin groaned in disbelief, looking around just to check if people heard what jisung said, fortunately, all the other customers are focused on their own businesses.  
  
"minnie! how could you? you don't have to make yourself hyunjin's sugar daddy just so he'll like you back" jisung began to rumbling, scolding seungmin who only finds it ridiculous.  
  
"can you listen firs-"  
  
"i know you really like him but using your money to win his heart is not the solution, minnie. oh gosh, how did you even resulted to this?" jisung continued rumbling, ignoring seungmin's protests.  
  
"han jisung, i swear-"  
  
"if you really like him then confess to him already! you don't have to this, oh god i think your crush for him is becoming unhealthy that's why you're doing this. i support your feelings for him and i would be more than happy if you guys will be together but kim seungmin, being a sugar daddy doesn't suit yo-"  
  
"stop! i've heard enough, what the fuck, han jisung? you and your way too wild and advanced imagination" seungmin slammed his hands slightly on the table as he hissed.  
  
that caught jisung's attention, stopping him from what he was saying, he gulped when seungmin sent him a a death glare. and, seungmin cursed, he thought, i'm doomed. seungmin never curses, well, he does, but it's really rare to happen, only when he finds or hears something stupid and ridiculous or when something or someone really got to his nerves, and right now, jisung is being all of it.  
  
"i'm not his sugar daddy, okay?! that's ridiculous! you're ridiculous!" seungmin sighed exasperatedly as jisung just gave him a peace sign and stuck his tongue out.   
  
"then what? that's the first thing that came to my mind when you told me the new phone's for hyunjin" jisung said dumbly as he scratched the back of his head, his derp smile makes seungmin question his friendship with him yet again.  
  
"that's not it, it's because..." seungmin sighed as he proceeded to told him his real reason why he bought the phone for hyunjin. telling jisung how seungmin kicked a stone that hit hyunjin's phone and how hyunjin ended up with a totally cracked and broken phone. minus the conversation they shared, hyunjin's harsh words and how seungmin cried because of hyunjin, ending for him to make an excuse and not make it to what was supposed their bonding with felix and jeongin. not that seungmin still mind what happened that day though, well not after hyunjin told him that he don't hate him, but don't like him either.  
  
"you got it now?" seungmin asked as he finished explaining, rolling his eyes as jisung's mouth was open in awe as he gave seungmin a goofy smile and small nod, followed by a small apology.  
  
"so-" jisung was about to say something again when their orders arrived, so his focus was quickly averted to the foods, seungmin could see jisung's eyes twinkling at the sight of the foods.  
  
"okay, i now understand why you bought him a new phone" seungmin glared at jisung when he talked with his mouth full of pasta, jisung ignored his glare and continued talking, "but how will you give it to him?" he voiced out his point.  
  
seungmin paused in cutting the meat on his plate after hearing jisung's point. jisung's right, he already bought the phone, but how will he give it to hyunjin?  
  
 _that's something seungmin haven't thought or planned yet._


	6. chapter 6

when friday comes, seungmin found himself staring at the establishment in front of him, contemplating if he should enter or just go back to the comfort of his place, forget what he had planned and sleep. he didn't mind the people that was passing by him, they're probably wondering why he was standing frozen in front of glamoury at this time where itaewon's nightlife is thriving and people are literally flooding the district.  
  
"no, kim seungmin, you can do this!" he cheered himself, gripping the handle of the paper bag where the phone he bought was inside.  
  
"you'll just say sorry to hyunjin for breaking his phone, give him the new phone and then go back home immediately" he tried to remind himself of his what so called plan.  
  
it's almost midnight and according to woojin, hyunjin's shift end at that time. he's been standing outside for almost one hour and thirty minutes now. his nerves was getting into him earlier so instead of going there before midnight, he went at ten thirty, but was so nervous to enter and give the phone to hyunjin, he don't want the stuffs who knew to saw him doing that because they might think like jisung or something.   
  
so instead, he decided to just stand outside till the pub close and wait for hyunjin to go out.  
  
seungmin shivered when he felt the cold night air. he wore a thick jacket, it was just really chilly, nothing that he can't bear, he really just gets cold easily. he sighed as he silently wished that his best friend is with him, jisung may be a crackhead most of the time but it is also him that's always there to support and motivate seungmin. minho, jeongin, and felix support and motivate him the same but it's just really different when it's your best friend.  
  
"where's jisung when you need him" he whined to himself, checking his wrist watch.  
  
he asked jisung earlier that day to come with him to glamoury but his beloved best friend can't go with him because unfortunately, he'll be out stargazing with minho and they'll be spending the night together. seungmin was actually sulky because they didn't even asked him to go with him, but minho said that it's a date, so seungmin can't third-wheel. fair enough because he don't wanna see the two having a cliche 'kissing under the shining stars'.  
  
seungmin felt his anxiety rising when the time hit midnight. he glanced at glamoury and saw some familiar faces of the stuff going out, maybe their shifts also ends at midnight. some even bowed and greeted him but seungmin could only give them a short nod and rather forced smile because he was there to see hyunjin and give him the phone, not to socialize awkwardly with his brother's employees.  
  
he's the younger brother of glamoury's owner, seungmin silently wonders if hyunjin is aware of that since wonpil is his boss.  
  
"hwang!"  
  
seungmin flinched as he got out of his thoughts, he quickly looked at the direction where the voice came from. he felt his heart starting to race when he saw hyunjin standing outside the entrance of the pub, a guy, another stuff and seems like the person who called out to hyunjin's surname was telling him something that seungmin can't hear. by the way seungmin saw how hyunjin just nodded on what the other guy was saying, he thought that it must be about their job.  
  
the guy finished what he was saying and gave hyunjin a slight tap on the shoulders before he turned around and catched up to the other employees, leaving hyunjin who turned and walked to the direction opposite them. seungmin quickly hid himself when hyunjin looked at his direction.   
  
"dude, what in the world?"   
  
seungmin quickly went out behind the thing that he was hiding on, he was in a panic and wanted to hid immediately he didn't noticed that he hid himself behind a mascot, he was even grabbing on the costume so the person inside must be more shocked than him.  
  
he quickly gave his apologies to the person behind the mascot, he really can't see who it was but he just can't go away without saying sorry that would be rude.  
  
"crap! hyunjin!" seungmin shrieked as he finished saying his apologies. he almost forgot that he was at the place to see hyunjin.  
  
he turned to the direction where hyunjin was walking to earlier and heaved a rather heavy sigh when he still saw the other, but was rather far from him now as seungmin panicked shortly.  
  
he turned around and gave the mascot a quick bow before he dashes off to hyunjin's direction. cursing silently when he almost trip.  
  
"what the- he's not much taller than me but why does he walk so freaking fast?" seungmin huffed, fastening his pace as hyunjin turned to another street where seungmin knew he could grab a taxi.  
  
this street of itaewon gets fewer people, so seungmin wasn't surprised when he saw that it was just him and hyunjin that was walking on the street, even some shops at the street where already closed, aside from some small pubs and clubs.  
  
"dang he walks so fast" seungmin whined as he stopped on his track and put his hands on his knees to rest for some seconds.  
  
but it seems like a wrong choice because when he looked up, hyunjin were no longer walking in front of him, making seungmin groaned and ruffle his hair in frustration.  
  
"where is he? my eyes have been away from him for only some seconds" seungmin said in distressed as he continued walking while looking around for hyunjin.  
  
seungmin's walking turned into running as he looked around of hyunjin. the latter may be just around because he can't be gone that quickly even if he walks fast with his long legs, seungmin wasn't even that far from him earlier.  
  
seungmin huffed as he stopped again from his track, chasing his breath.  
  
"ah, i think i really lost him" seungmin whined as he stomped his feet like a child. "what a shame, i should be sleeping on my bed now" he whined more.  
  
after some more whining at his failed plan, he started walking again as he brought out his phone to call for a cab half-heartedly because he's still salty that he lost hyunjin just like that when he was so determined to give him the phone that night.  
  
"why am i so unl- ah! what the-! hyunjin?!"  
  
seungmin was about to start another whining when he felt a hand grabbing his arm and he just felt himself pressed on a wall in a rather small alley, two arms caging him in and he was both confused and shocked to know that it was hyunjin, the man that he was chasing earlier and actually thought that he lost.  
  
"w-what are you doing?" seungmin stuttered as he felt himself blushing, good thing that the streetlight illuminating the area was orange, so it wasn't obvious that seungmin's cheeks were tinted dark red by now.  
  
he tried to break free. take note, tried because the taller didn't let him no matter how much he try. so in the end, seungmin just sighed in obvious defeat as he stayed in place. he looked up at hyunjin who was giving him looks that seungmin can't distinguished the meaning behind. he can't help but blushed even more, if that was possible, and gulped nervously when he noticed something that he didn't noticed earlier.  
  
hyunjin's hair, they were freaking tied up into a man bun.  
  
the thoughts of how good hyunjin looks on it and how much he looks so ethereal flooded seungmin's mind as he stared unconsciously to the taller man.   
  
"are you following me?" hyunjin asked him not long after.  
  
seungmin was so dazed because how good hyunjin looks that he unconsciously nodded as an answer to the question, but his eyes widened as he realized the question, he shook his head quickly as he looked away, laughing awkwardly.  
  
"h-hehe, i- i mean, yeah- wait! no no! i'm not following you!" seungmin stammered, cursing at himself for sounding so unconvincing.  
  
hyunjin raised him a brow, seungmin expected him to tell him harsh words or scowl at him like what he always do, but nothing of that happened, making seungmin confused.  
  
instead, hyunjin just retreated his arms away with a sigh. now seungmin is free and can move freely now. hyunjin back away a few steps away from seungmin, eyes not living him.   
  
the smaller of the two was unconsciously biting on his lower lips in anxiousness as he fiddles with the handle of the paper bag. he was looking away as he thinks of how he should say that he was there to say sorry and give hyunjin the new phone. he was so sure earlier that he can do it but now he's too nervous to do so.  
  
seungmin looked up as he heard hyunjin sighed and soon was turning away while saying something to him.  
  
"it's so late now, go home. it's dangerous at this hour"  
  
seungmin was lost in words as he blinked in utter confusion. hyunjin was always harsh to him and was always telling him to stay away from him, but now? is he actually showing that he's...worried? well, seungmin can't see hyunjin's expression, but atleast his words show concern.  
  
a smile slowly crept into seungmin's lips as his right hand touched his hot, red cheeks, squealing silently to himself as he felt that tingling feeling in his stomach. he don't even know why he's too happy when hyunjin only told him that it's dangerous at that hour.   
  
but then, seungmin started panicking again when he remembered his plan and real intention.   
  
without thinking, his grip on the paper bag tightened as he looked to hyunjin who's a little far from his now and shouted his name.  
  
"hwang hyunjin!"  
  
the said name abruptly stopped on his track but he didn't turn around. seungmin smiled before sprinting away towards hyunjin, he stopped in front of hyunjin who looked down at him with a rise brow.  
  
"what? didn't i tell you to go home already?don't tell me you'll continue following me to my place?" hyunjin deadpanned.  
  
seungmin's eyes widened as he quickly shook his head in disagreement. "no! i'm just..uh.. i-" he tried to tell only to cursed under his breath in the end when he only stutters.   
  
"what now? i don't have all the time in the world to wait for what you need from me. i need rest" hyunjin said blankly and was about to walk pass seungmin when the latter held his arm to stop him from doing so.  
  
hyunjin looked back at seungmin but got taken aback when the latter pushed the paper bag on his chest, making him hold it even tho he don't have any idea what's inside. his brows furrowed when seungmin let go of his hands, he looked down at the paper bag and then back to seungmin.  
  
"what's this? i don't remember asking you for anything" he said a little stoic.  
  
seungmin sighed as he now fiddled with his fingers, saying fuck it mentally before he looked up to meet hyunjin's impassive eyes. he gulped before saying his words.  
  
"uhm...i'm sorry about the...uh at the school field. i'm sorry i wasn't looking to where i was looking at even kicked a stone that knocked off and broke your phone" seungmin finally said. "i'm also sorry if i offended you in some way, i just wanted to pay you because it was my phone that you lost your phone" he added when he remembered how hyunjin thought that he was showing of his money.  
  
he was looking at hyunjin and searching for any reaction, but the taller was just staring blankly at him, seungmin can't read him at all.   
  
as what he had expected, hyunjin reached out to give him back the paper bag but seungmin quickly stepped away and didn't take that paper bag back. he shook his head.  
  
"that's a new phone, please accept it, i know you don't have a phone right now. having a phone is important" seungmin told softly. hyunjin shook his head and was giving him the paper bag still.  
  
"i can-" hyunjin didn't finish what he was about to say when seungmin cut him into it.  
  
"just accept it, please" seungmin said before looking at his phone when he received a message that the cab he called has arrived.  
  
"bye!" he quickly said before turning away and ran, leaving hyunjin.  
  
"hey!" hyunjin tried to call him and stopped him, running after him but was immediately stopped when a cab stopped in front of seungmin who immediately get in, smiling and waving at hyunjin before closing the door and then the cab took off.  
  
hyunjin stood at his place as his eyes follow the cab that seungmin got on. he sighed as he lost sight of it and then he looked at the paper bag, looking inside to see the box of a new, and even latest phone, as what seungmin had told him at the field that day.  
  
he closed the paper bag as he sighed and started walking, shaking his head as a small smile crept into his face. he muttered to himself as he looked up at the clear skies where stars where shining and twinkling brightly.  
  
"kim seungmin, really...."


End file.
